environmental_2019-2020

Environmental studies 2019 - 2020

Authors: Kaitlin N. Allen & José Pablo Vázquez-Medina Reperfusion injury follows ischemia/reperfusion events occurring during myocardial infarction, stroke, embolism, and other peripheral vascular diseases. Decreased blood flow and reduced oxygen tension during ischemic episodes activate cellular pathways that upregulate pro- inflammatory signaling and promote oxidant generation. Reperfusion after ischemia recruits inflammatory cells to the vascular wall, further exacerbating oxidant production and ultimately resulting in cell death, tissue injury, and organ dysfunction. Diving mammals tolerate repetitive episodes of peripheral ischemia/reperfusion as part of the cardiovascular adjustments supporting long-duration dives. These adjustments allow marine mammals to optimize the use of their body oxygen stores while diving but can result in selectively reduced perfusion to peripheral tissues. Remarkably, diving mammals show no apparent detrimental effects associated with these ischemia/reperfusion events. This study reviews the knowledge regarding the strategies marine mammals use to suppress inflammation and cope with oxidant generation potentially derived from diving-induced ischemia/reperfusion.

Authors: Christine Erbe, Sarah A. Marley, Renée P. Schoeman, Joshua N. Smith, Leah E. Trigg, and Clare Beth Embling. Abstract: A concomitant increase in underwater noise has been reported in several regions around the globe. Given the important role sound plays in the life functions of marine mammals, research on the potential effects of vessel noise has grown—in particular since the year 2000. This study provides an overview of this literature, showing that studies have been patchy in terms of their coverage of species, habitats, vessel types, and types of impact investigated.

Authors: Andreas Fahlman, Bruno Cozzi, Mercy Manley, Sandra Jabas, Marek Malik, Ashley Blawas, and Vincent M. Janik. Abstract: Previous reports suggested the existence of direct somatic motor control over heart rate (fH) responses during diving in some marine mammals as the result of a cognitive and/or learning process rather than being a reflexive response. This would be beneficial for O2 storage management but would also allow ventilation-perfusion matching for selective gas exchange, where O2 and CO2 can be exchanged with a minimal exchange of N2. Such a mechanism explains how air-breathing marine vertebrates avoid diving-related gas bubble formation during repeated dives and how stress could interrupt this mechanism and cause excessive N2 exchange. To investigate the conditioned response, the authors measured the fH-response before and during static breath-holds in three bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) when shown a visual symbol to perform either a long (LONG) or short (SHORT) breath-hold or during a spontaneous breath-hold without a symbol (NS).

Authors: Alexander O. MacGillivray, Zizheng Li, David E. Hannay, Krista B. Trounce, & Orla M. Robinson. In 2017, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation program carried out a two-month voluntary vessel slowdown trial to determine whether slowing to 11 knots was an effective method for reducing underwater radiated vessel noise. The test was carried out in Haro Strait, British Columbia, in the critical habitat of endangered southern resident killer whales.

Author: Jacquomo Monk, Neville Barrett, Todd Bond, Ashley Fowler, Dianne McLean, Julian Partridge, Nicholas Perkins, Rachel Przeslawski, Paul G Thomson, Joel Williams ROVs were initially designed in the mid-1980s to complement manned scientific submersibles. With the increase in technology, ROVs have gained acceptance because of their distinct advantages over manned submersibles in many areas, notably reduced risk to pilots and researchers.

Authors: Mariana Girão, Inês Ribeiro, Tiago Ribeiro, Isabel C. Azevedo, Filipe Pereira, Ralph Urbatzka, Pedro N. Leão, and Maria F. Carvalho. Nature is the major reservoir of biologically active molecules. The urgent need of finding novel molecules for pharmaceutical application is prompting the research of underexplored environments, such as marine ecosystems. The authors of this paper investigated cultivable actinobacteria associated with the macroalgae Laminaria ochroleuca and assessed their potential to produce compounds with antimicrobial or anticancer activities.

Author: Polina Lemenkova Urbanization in Turkey has impressive expansion rates from 18.5% in 1950 to 62% in 2000. Such uncontrolled expansion leads to a gradual decrease in fertile landscapes and agricultural areas along the Aegean coasts and increases the pollution of waters. The chemical contamination in Izmir bay (mercury originating from Gediz River and inactive mining sites in Karaburun Peninsula) comes to the shelf waters. Consequently, the detected mercury in selected plankton organisms exceeds the acceptable standards as a maximal limit in living creatures.

Authors: N. Remez, A. Dychko, L. Yevtieieva, S. Kraychuk, N. Ostapchuk, J. Oliinyk This paper provides a simple mathematical model that describes the synergistic interaction of environmental factors that occur in urban ecosystem. The model predicts the value of maximum synergistic action and the condition for its achievement, as well as implies the dependence of synergistic action on the intensity of the agents used and the proportion of irreversible damages after the combined effects. The developed mathematical model can be used to predict the accumulation of pollution in the ground layer of soil.

Author:s Leo posthuma, Michiel C. Zijp, Dick De Zwart, Dik Van de Meent, Lidija Globevnik, Maja Koprivsek, Andreas Focks, Jos Van Gils, & Sebastian Birk This study aims to demonstrate that the current approach of chemical impact assessment, consisting of comparing measured concentrations to protect environmental quality standards for individual chemicals, is not optimal.

Author:s Estelle Baurès, Alexandre Baudet, Olivier Blanchard, Hélène Guegan, Monique Guillaso, Pierre le Cann, Jean-Pierre Gangneux, Arnaud Florentin Air quality in public and working establishments is essential, especially where people are potentially vulnerable. It is precisely the case with healthcare institutions. This study aims to describe these facilities' microbiological, chemical, and particulate pollution of the indoor environment.

Author:s Ravi Naidu, Bhabananda Biswas, Ian R. Willett, Julian Cribb, Brajesh Kumar Singh, C. Paul Nathanail, Frederic Coulon, Kirk T. Semple, Kevin C. Jones, Adam Barclay, Robert John Aitken Anthropogenic chemical pollution has the potential to pose one of the largest environmental threats to humanity, but global understanding of the issue remains fragmented. This article presents a perspective of the threat of chemical pollution to humanity, emphasising male fertility, cognitive health and food security.

Authors: Jiaqi Wang, Leonie S. Lautz, Tom M. Nolte, Leo Posthuma, Remon Koopman, Rob S.E.W. Leuven, A. Jan Hendriks The impact of chemical pollution on ecosystem services is rarely quantified, and the ecosystem service valuation often focuses on individual services without considering the total services provided by the ecosystem. The study aimed to develop a stepwise approach to quantify the impact of sediment pollution on the entire ecosystem service value offered by water systems

Authors: Reshma P. Vengaloor, Aparnna Ajay, Jessica Sandhiya, Ashrith Sriram Raju, Dhanush.S Almost all organisms on this planet are affected by water, including humans. As a result of water pollution, many marine ecosystems and freshwater ecosystems have been disturbed. Plastics make up most of the waste. Besides stagnation, they are also eaten by aquatic and terrestrial animals, which is a great threat to their existence. Keeping domestic water bodies clean can solve many of the problems that threaten the existence of aquatic organisms. This problem has been addressed by developing the AQUA ROVER

Publisher: United Nations The "Manual of Tests and Criteria" contains criteria, test methods, and procedures to be used for the classification of dangerous goods according to the provisions of the "United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, Model Regulations", as well as of chemicals presenting physical hazards according to the "Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS)".

Authors: Dr. Nagham Mahmood Aljamali, Dr. Aseel Mahmood Jawad, Anaam Jawad Alabbasy, Dr. Layla Ali Mohammed Salih This review deals with the causes of pollution and their effect on health and the environment. Also, it involves essential forms of contamination like environmental, chemical, radiation, soil, water, thermal, biological, and medical pollution that killed millions of people in many countries.

37 - A Diver-Portable Respirometry System for in-situ Short-Term Measurements of Coral Metabolic Health and Rates of Calcification

Authors: Walter Dellisanti, Ryan H. L. Tsang, Put Ang Jr, Jiajun Wu, Mark L. Wells, and Leo L. Chan Underwater visual monitoring methods are used broadly to evaluate coral reef conditions in the natural environment, but quantitative measurements of the coral holobiont have mainly been restricted to the photo- physiological assessment of the endosymbionts. An underwater respirometer has been designed to make routine, diver-operated, non-invasive measurements at coral surfaces, but the reality in situ accuracy and precision capabilities of this device has not been critically assessed, an essential step if these measurements are to help quantify spatial and seasonal patterns of coral metabolism.

Authors: Miriam Römer, Chieh-Wei Hsu, Markus Loher, Ian R. MacDonald, Christian dos Santos Ferreira, Thomas Pape, Susan Mau, Gerhard Bohrmann, and Heiko Sahling This multi-disciplinary study of the hydrocarbon seepage system at Tsanyao Yang Knoll (TYK) in the southern Gulf of Mexico illustrates the amount and fate of hydrocarbons (mainly oil and methane) emanating from the sea floor structure and rising through a 3400 m water column.

19 - Oceanographic Drivers of Deep-Sea Coral Species Distribution and Community Assembly on Seamounts, Islands, Atolls, and Reefs Within the Phoenix Islands Protected Area

Authors: Steven R. Auscavitch, Mary C. Deere, Abigail G. Keller, Randi D. Rotjan, Timothy M. Shank, and Erik E. Cordes The authors of this paper present baseline deep-sea coral species distribution and community assembly patterns within the Scleractinia, Octocorallia, Antipatharia, and Zoantharia with respect to different sea floor features and abiotic environmental variables across bathyal depths (200–2500 m).

21 - ROV’s Video Recordings as a Tool to Estimate Variation in Megabenthic Epifauna Diversity and Community Composition in the Guaymas Basin

Author: Pedro H. López-Garrido, James P. Barry, Juan Ignacio González-Gordillo, and Elva Escobar-Briones Current knowledge of invertebrate communities in hard bottom habitats at depths > 200 m is poor due to the methodological limitations inherent in sampling deep habitats. Using video imagery of benthic habitats coupled with environmental data from the Remotely Operated Vehicle, the authors documented variation in the diversity and community composition from 849 to 990 m depth in the NW limit of the Guaymas Basin, in relation to dissolved oxygen and substrate characteristics.

Author: Victoria L. G. Todd, Laura Lazar, Laura D. Williamson, Ingrid T. Peters, Aimee L. Hoover 1 , Sophie E. Cox 1 , Ian. B. Todd 1 , Peter I. Macreadie, and Dianne L. McLean This study used routine, incidentally collected ROV (n = 73) and commercial diver (n = 9) video recordings spanning 1998–2019 globally. Data were gathered directly from industrial partners (n = 36) and the public domain (YouTube; n = 46) to provide an account of marine megafauna presence and potential feeding behavior in the near-visible vicinity of subsea anthropogenic structures.

Authors: Tomasz Wolski, Bernard Wisniewski Fluctuating sea levels are an important element of hydrodynamic processes that occur in coastal regions. Extreme sea levels can stimulate currents, sea abrasion, and the accumulation of sedimentary material in various coastal sections. The objective of this study was to examine the geographical diversity of extreme sea levels along the entire Baltic Sea coast based on hourly sea levels from 37 tide gauges between 1960 and 2010. In this study, 8 Baltic Sea sub-basins (water regions) with similar sea level fluctuation patterns were identified using cluster analysis.

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Authors: Apostolos Tsouvalas Installing piles is crucial for building new wind farms, but it also generates significant underwater noise pollution. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the latest computational methods used to predict underwater noise generated by offshore foundation pile installation, as well as existing noise mitigation strategies. Additionally, it identifies future challenges in the field, taking into account the increasing size of wind turbines and new pile-driving technologies.

Authors: S. Veerasingam , M. Ranjani , R. Venkatachalapathy , Andrei Bagaev , Vladimir Mukhanov , Daria Litvinyuk , M. Mugilarasan , K. Gurumoorthi , L. Guganathan , V. M. Aboobacker & P. Vethamony The goal of this article is to critically review the identification of microplastics in different environmental matrices using the "Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy" technique, which consists of measuring how much light a sample absorbs at each wavelength. It also discusses the limitations of this method and explores ways to improve and standardize practices.

Authors: Shane Guan, & Robert Miner Although down-the-hole (DTH) pile driving is increasingly used for in-water pile installation, the characteristics of underwater noise from DTH pile driving are largely undocumented and unstudied. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the noise characteristics during DTH pile driving of two steel pipe piles in shallow waters off Southeast Alaska.

Authors: Samuel L. Denes, Michelle J. Weirathmueller, Elizabeth T. Küsel Underwater noise from platform foundation construction is mainly caused by impact pile driving. Other noise sources include vessel thrusters. This report presents the results of acoustic modeling for pile driving activities. They are presented as single-impact radial distances to various nominal sound pressure levels, sound exposure levels, and zero-to-peak pressure levels.

Authors: Y. Bernaldo de Quiros, A. Fernandez, R.W. Baird, R.L. Brownell Jr, N. Aguilar de Soto, D. Allen, M. Arbelo, M. Arregui, A. Costidis, A. Fahlman, A. Frantzis F. M. D. Gulland, M. Inıguez, M. Johnson, A. Komnenou, H. Koopman, D. A. Pabst, W. D. Roe, E. Sierra, M. Tejedor, & G. Schorr This article raises awareness about the correlation between naval mid-frequency active sonar (MFAS) and mass stranding events (MSEs) of beaked whales (BWs). It highlights the historical context, research findings, and effectiveness of mitigation measures such as the MFAS ban in the Canary Islands. The authors suggest similar spatial management strategies should be implemented in other regions to protect beaked whale populations.

Publisher: US office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy This document explains the efforts and initiatives of the U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) in exploring and advancing marine energy technologies. It discusses the potential of marine energy resources, the geographical diversity of these resources, and the WPTO's focus on improving performance and reducing the costs of marine energy generation. Additionally, it highlights the WPTO's fact-finding mission to identify new markets for marine energy beyond the grid, such as providing power at sea and meeting the energy needs of coastal and rural island communities.

Publisher: World Health Organization This document from the World Health Organization aims to inform and raise awareness about the health risks associated with benzene exposure and advocate for public health actions to reduce such exposure.

Authors: Sean van Elden, Jessica J. Meeuwig, Richard J. Hobbs and Jan M. Hemmi This article discusses the ecological implications of decommissioning offshore oil and gas platforms and proposes the use of the new ecosystem approach as a framework for managing them. It highlights the ecological importance of these platforms as artificial reefs, the challenges associated with their removal, and the potential benefits of recognizing and managing them as novel ecosystems rather than attempting to restore the original ecosystem.

27 - Dynamic Satellite Seascapes as a Biogeographic Framework for Understanding Phytoplankton Assemblages in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, United States

Authors: Enrique Montes, Anni Djurhuus, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Daniel Otis, Christopher R. Kelbl, & Maria T. Kavanaugh This study, part of the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) demonstration project and managed by NOAA, characterizes seascapes in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) and the southwest Florida shelf nearshore environment using multivariate satellite and in situ measurements of Essential Ocean Variables and Essential Biodiversity Variables to analyze physical, chemical, geological, and biological factors that shape marine environments. The research focuses on three specific periods in 2016 and involves collecting data on bio-optical parameters.

Authors: U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Office of Renewable Energy Programs This paper intends to inform stakeholders about the potential effects of offshore wind foundations on the marine environment along the Atlantic coast of the United States and address public concerns by summarizing available scientific knowledge and comparing different foundation types. It seeks to provide stakeholders with information on the direct and indirect impacts of these foundations on marine species and habitats, as well as to explain the conditions under which different foundation types are suitable. Additionally, the text acknowledges that some stakeholders view offshore wind farm foundations as beneficial artificial reefs that support marine life.

Author:s Matthias Obst, Katrina Exter, A. Louise Allcock, Christos Arvanitidis, Alizz Axberg, Maria Bustamante, Ibon Cancio, Diego Carreira-Flores, Eva Chatzinikolaou, Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou, Nathan Chrismas, Melody S. Clark, Thierry Comtet, Thanos Dailianis, Neil Davies, Klaas Deneudt, Oihane Diaz de Cerio, Ana Fortic, Vasilis Gerovasileiou, Pascal I. Hablützel, Kleoniki Keklikoglou, Georgios Kotoulas, Rafal Lasota, Barbara R. Leite, Stéphane Loisel, Laurent Lévêque, Liraz Levy, Magdalena Malachowicz, Borut Mavric, Christopher Meyer, Jonas Mortelmans, Joanna Norkko, Nicolas Pade, Anne Marie Power, Andreja Ramšak,Henning Reis, Jostein Solbakken, Peter A. Staehr, Per Sundberg, Jakob Thyrring, Jesus S. Troncoso, Frédérique Viard, Roman Wenne , Eleni Ioanna Yperifanou, Malgorzata Zbawicka, & Christina Pavloudi This document announces and describes the establishment and results of a Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) using Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS). This network aims to monitor and assess changes in marine hard-bottom communities, particularly benthic fauna, using genomic- based methods like DNA metabarcoding combined with image-based identifications.

Authors: Luca Riboldi, Erick F. Alves, Marcin Pilarczyk, Elisabetta Tedeschi, & Lars O. Nord This paper presents and evaluates an innovative hybrid energy system designed to provide stable power and heat to offshore oil and gas installations. The system integrates offshore wind, onshore gas turbines, and an energy storage system based on fuel cells and electrolyser stacks. The paper aims to demonstrate the potential of this system and discusses the development of an integrated model to simulate the performance of the system, in addition to a rigorous analysis and optimization process to identify the best design.

Authors: D.S. Ivanov, G.S. Ammosov, Z.G. Kornilova This analysis discusses the challenges and factors affecting the efficiency and stability of trunk gas pipelines, specifically focusing on the underwater crossing of the Lena River in Yakutia. It highlights the technical and environmental challenges, such as soil erosion, climatic conditions, and the need for additional materials, which impact construction costs and pipeline integrity, highlighting complexities involved in maintaining the planned-high- altitude position of the pipeline and the influence of natural processes on its operation.

Author: Hanna Heidemann, and Joachim Ribbe This paper presents a scientific investigation into the occurrence and spatial variability of marine heat waves (MHWs) off the southeast coast of Queensland, Australia, to identify patterns in sea surface temperature (SST) variability in key ecological hotspots, analyze the impact of El Niño events on MHWs, and highlight the influence of local weather patterns and oceanic heat advection on these phenomena. Additionally, it suggests the importance of conducting similar studies in other regional shelves and coastal systems due to the pressures of human activities and climate change.

Author: Rachel L. Mugge, Melissa L. Brock, Jennifer L. Salerno, Melanie Damour, Robert A. Church, Jason S. Lee, and Leila J. Hamdan This study examined the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the preservation of historic shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico, focusing on how the spill affects biofilm communities on submerged steel structures, which play a crucial role in reef preservation and biodiversity. It details the methodology used to assess the impact, including the placement of carbon steel disks at various shipwreck sites, the analysis of biofilm and microbiome samples, and the findings related to gene abundance and metal loss, providing evidence of the long-term environmental effects of the oil spill on marine ecosystems and historic preservation.

Authors: Michael Vecchione This document shares scientific observations and findings from recent remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives in the central Pacific Ocean. The author aims to provide insights into the natural history of cephalopods, specifically focusing on the reproductive behavior of deep-sea squids and cirrate octopods. It highlights specific examples and observations, such as potential spawning aggregations and unique egg hatching mechanisms, to contribute to the understanding of deep-sea animal behavior and biology.

Authors: Kyra A. Price, Cody E. Garrison, Nathan Richards, and Erin K. Field This study focuses on understanding the microbial communities associated with the Pappy Lane shipwreck in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, to identify differences in microbial communities across the shipwreck and its surrounding environment and how these communities contribute to its preservation or deterioration. It also highlights the discovery of a novel strain of Zetaproteobacteria and its potential role in biogeochemical cycling, with implications for better management and preservation strategies for shipwrecks as artificial reefs and cultural resources.

Authors: Philipp Fischer, Holger Brix, Burkard Baschek, Alexandra Kraberg, Markus Brand, Boris Cisewski, Rolf Riethmüller, Gisbert Breitbach, Klas Ove Möller, Jean-Pierre Gattuso, Samir Alliouane, Willem H. van de Poll, and Rob Witbaard This study discusses the development, operation, and challenges of cabled coastal observatories, focusing on the "COSYNA Shallow Water Underwater Node" system. It aims to highlight the technological advancements and benefits of these observatories for marine science, as well as the complexities involved in their operation, providing an overview of the capabilities and experiences gained from using such technology in marine research, particularly in challenging environments like the polar seas and the North Sea.